Technical Education Copenhagen (TEC) is one of Denmark’s largest providers of vocational education and training (VET). It offers a wide variety of technical programs, apprenticeships, and continuing education for both young people and adults.
Technical Education Copenhagen, TEC, is a vocational and technical school in Copenhagen with its main address in Frederiksberg, and it differs from most institutions in this selection: it is not a university. About 4,500 students and 800 staff work on a training model typical of Denmark, in which school periods alternate with paid apprenticeships in companies. The institution focuses on trades and technology, from electricians to data and IT.
The offer includes vocational education in electrical installation, automation, IT support, construction trades and related technical areas, as well as technical upper-secondary education for students who want to continue to higher study. The mix gives young people several routes: some go straight to work as skilled workers, while others continue to academy profession degrees or professional bachelor programmes. Graduates are in demand in construction, energy and digital infrastructure.
Close cooperation with employers and trade unions is built into the system. Companies provide apprenticeship places, advise on the curriculum and help to assess practical skills. In the digital area the school trains technicians who maintain networks and data centres, and in construction it works with the sector on sustainable building and renovation. Students also learn languages, mathematics and communication skills as part of the programmes.
Education is free of tuition for students in the Danish public system, and apprentices receive a wage during their company periods. Teaching is in Danish, and foreign students normally need good Danish and a residence permit that allows them to study. Admission depends on the programme and on finding a training place, which the school helps students to arrange.
Copenhagen offers many apprenticeship places, but housing costs are high. Public transport and cycling make travel across the city simple. About 50,000 people have passed through the school and its predecessors, and many of them now run their own businesses in the building trades.
Domains taught:
Automation, Civil Engineering, Data Analytics, Electrical and Electronics, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Associate Degree, Certificate, Diploma
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
TEC has an extensive network of partnerships with companies across the Copenhagen region, providing essential apprenticeship placements and practical training opportunities for its students.
Research:
While not a research institution, TEC engages in pedagogical development and projects to improve vocational training methods and adapt to new industry technologies.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
800
Current students***:
4500
Foreign students***:
0%
Cumulative former students***:
50000
Pros
Offers a very wide range of technical programs with a strong focus on developing practical, job-ready skills. It has modern, well-equipped workshops and a strong apprenticeship system.
Cons
The institution is primarily focused on vocational training and associate degrees rather than academic university degrees, and it does not grant bachelor’s or master’s degrees.
Best For
Individuals in the Copenhagen area seeking practical, skills-based vocational education and apprenticeships for technical trades.
Think of UCL University College when civil engineering, automation and mechanical engineering is the priority: it is larger, enrolling about 11,000 students against roughly 4,500 here, and is also a public institution.
Among national alternatives, VIA University College stands out for its focus on civil engineering, mechanical engineering and software engineering, and it is also a public institution and also offers bachelor's programmes.
IT University of Copenhagen overlaps with this institution on data analytics and software engineering, so the two are easy to compare, and it is smaller, enrolling about 2,600 students against roughly 4,500 here, and is also a public institution.
Also strong in automation, mechanical engineering and electrical and electronics, Aarhus School of Marine and Technical Engineering makes a sensible second look at home; it covers marine science and project management as well, and is far smaller, with about 900 students against roughly 4,500 here.
In terms of fields, Roskilde University is the nearest neighbour, with data analytics again at the core; it is also a public institution, and also offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
In Belgium, Institut d'Enseignement de Promotion Sociale de la Communauté Française Uccle teaches much the same core subjects, civil engineering, automation and electrical and electronics, and it runs the same associate degree, certificate and diploma programmes, and is smaller, enrolling about 2,000 students against roughly 4,500 here.
Institut Provincial d'Enseignement de Promotion Sociale et Secondaire de Verviers, in Belgium, takes a similar route through automation, mechanical engineering and electrical and electronics; it is slightly smaller, at about 3,500 students against roughly 4,500 here, and is also a public institution.
College of New Caledonia (Canada) works on the same fields as this school, chiefly civil engineering, automation and software engineering; it runs the same associate degree, certificate and diploma programmes, and covers manufacturing and ecology and sustainability as well.
Seen from abroad, City of Wolverhampton College (the United Kingdom) is a close relative on subject matter, since civil engineering, electrical and electronics and software engineering are central to both, and it covers manufacturing and life sciences as well, and is larger, enrolling about 10,000 students against roughly 4,500 here.
Gateshead College in the United Kingdom is the nearest foreign match on civil engineering, automation and electrical and electronics; it is larger, enrolling about 10,000 students against roughly 4,500 here, and is also a public institution.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is TEC?
The main address is Stæhr Johansens Vej 7 in Frederiksberg, in Copenhagen.
Is TEC a university?
No. TEC is a vocational and technical school that trains skilled workers and prepares students for further study.
How large is TEC?
About 4,500 students and 800 staff.
What can you study at TEC?
Electrical installation, automation, IT support, construction trades and related technical areas, as well as technical upper-secondary education.
How does the training model work?
School periods alternate with paid apprenticeships in companies, which is the typical Danish vocational model.
Is education free?
Yes, in the Danish public system. Apprentices receive a wage during their company periods.
What language is used for teaching?
Danish. Foreign students normally need good Danish and a residence permit.
Can graduates continue to higher education?
Yes. Many continue to academy profession degrees or professional bachelor programmes.
Does TEC work with employers?
Yes. Companies provide apprenticeship places, advise on the curriculum and help to assess practical skills.
Is Copenhagen expensive for apprentices?
Housing costs are high, but wages during company periods, public transport and cycling help to manage daily life.
Construction Engineering, Continuous Improvement, Design for Manufacturing (DfM), Electrical Engineering, Information Technology (IT), Lean Manufacturing, Project Management
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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